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Monday, February 10, 2014

Click here to find out more about the promo. Even if you don't win, you still get a little something, ranging from a digital thank you card from select cast (1 entry+) to Mrs. Patmore coming to cook for you and 10 of your friends (5,000 entries+)! My favorite is "You'll receive a personalized video of Mrs. Patmore yelling at whomever you choose as if they are Daisy" (100 entries+)! I'm so tempted to pool together all my Downton fan-friends so we could get one of the bigger "prizes," then we'll just raffle it off amongst ourselves. Hmmm.

I keep forgetting to take photos of my clothes. In two weeks, I was only able to manage to get photos of three outfits. I missed an LBD, a kaftan, a cocktail dress...Oh well!

Outfit 1: White romper with embellished neckline from Topshop. White is my color. It's not the most forgiving of colors, but I love how it looks so fresh, clean, and elegant. At work, I wore this with nude pumps and had a tan bag. For family dinner at Circles, I switched to silver heels from Primadonna, and a purple and silver bag from Aranaz.

Just when I think my chest is back to normal, I see photos like this.:p Biceps c/o my son.

Outfit 3: Friday! Not that I went out or anything. Har. H got me that black v-neck top from H&M maybe two years ago but this was the first time I wore it. I used to think it was too tight, so it's kind of funny that I decided to wear it when I wasn't even in the shape I was in when I first got it. I guess the older you get, the less self-conscious you are? Leopard-print skirt from Cotton On was a gift from H's sister. Black pumps from Parisian.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

I totally understand why parents spend loads of money on a big first birthday party--your kid only reaches this milestone once. But I guess I'm just...cheap practical? I figured A's not going to remember the party anyway, so I just wanted a small family-only thing at home. (On a side note, there's a funny piece called "Down with Big Birthday" about how ridiculous the "Birthday-Industrial Complex" has gotten.)

I decided on a little man/mustache theme because 1) A really did seem like a little man, and 2) he has three mustache sandos that he regularly wears, so it's kind of his thing. Pretty much everything in this party (if you could call it that) was DIY. Because the holidays weren't hectic enough.@_@ Some photos (some were taken by my SIL):

My Photoshop/InDesign skills were tested when I made the invitations (our assistant art director Theo made the background). I know everyone does Facebook invites nowadays, but I printed them out anyway.

I made bunting to hang all around...

...and mixed some with Japanese lanterns that I bought from Divisoria a couple of months before. They're still hanging in our garage (thanks for helping, Ninong Rene!)--A seemed to like them so I decided to keep them.

I hung a big sign at the gate so guests would know where the party was at.

As much as I wanted to cook, I just didn't have room for that kind of stress in my life. On the menu: chicken lollipop and spaghetti made by my mom's helper, and hickory smoked barbecue ribs (my favorite) as well as baked fish with potato gratinee (H's favorite) from Banapple.

And it might seem silly considering it was such a small event, but I printed out signs for those too...

Some extras: I made A a birthday board with some fun facts. By hand. And considering I have terrible handwriting and have no calligraphy skills, this was a true labor of love! I used chalk on illustration board--I think I'm going to go over it a second time with chalk marker. It's a little souvenir that I'd like to keep in A's room.

With the board, I put some disposable cameras (courtesy of H's sis) and a bunch of different mustaches, so people could snap away. Our nephews and nieces had a lot of fun with those--but they had to ask us how to work the cameras!

With my BFF (A's ninang)--because she's family

We didn't really have anything planned in terms of entertainment, except for an old-school game with a twist: Pin the 'stache on A!

For the cake, I didn't wanna spend a bundle on something fancy, so I just got a big version of the mini devil's food cake (from Chocolate Kiss) we had for his first-month birthday and decorated it with mini-bunting. (I LOVE this cake. I think I had three slices that day. We ordered two so guess where most of my holiday weight came from?)

For A's outfit, I wanted something that would go with the color scheme and theme. His red button-down shirt had a tiny mustache detail, and he wore it with comfy blue pants. I wore a stache necklace.

In the realm of first birthdays, little man's was small and simple and super casual. But hey, he seemed to enjoy it!

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Because I promised myself that I wouldn't turn losyang after having a kid. I'm not a fashionista, but lately people have been telling me that I'm their mommy peg (aww thanks, guys!), so um I guess I'm doing something right. My outfits for one week of work:

Friday: Family dinner. The Ramp dress, CMG sandals (because I needed a break after wearing heels for four straight days), SM necklace.

I know a lot of mommies have a tough time getting dressed after having kids, not just because your body after childbirth feels completely alien (I've always thought that it's much harder to dress a post-pregnancy body than it is to dress a pregnant one) but also because of the lack of time (I am thankful for the help that I have, which at least gives me time to shower! I have friends who aren't as lucky). A few tips to help my fellow mommies who may be struggling--and judging by my magazine's Mommy Makeover letters, there are a few out there:

Know your body. This helps you figure out which cuts to go for and which ones you shouldn't even have in your wardrobe. For example: The black top in my Thursday outfit used to be a crew-neck top. I had the neckline widened because crew-neck tops aren't flattering on me--they end up making me look bigger, maybe because I have a large-ish rib cage. I also have a high waist, so I tend to avoid fit-and-flare dresses; they make me look even more squat and rotund.

Know your style. I'm more of a classic dresser. I throw in the occasional trend (see Monday: origami shorts), but generally I stick to basic pieces. I'm also minimalist when it comes to accessories. I hardly ever wear earrings! When I do wear bling, I normally have either just a necklace OR bangles. But if you're a maximalist, by all means, pile it on! I think a lot of this minimalism stems from the fact that I have a toddler who likes grabbing things.

You don't have to spend a bundle. I don't buy designer stuff--that gorgeous Chloe dress is actually from Pam Q's sale and the Tory Burch bag was a gift. A lot of my clothes and accessories are department store finds.

Layer. Blazers (see Wednesday), vests (see Thursday), cardigans--these are things you can toss over more form-fitting or sheer tops or dresses that you might otherwise feel self-conscious in.

Plan. I was inspired by our assistant fashion editor Nina, who plans her outfits for the week. She says it keeps her from being late. I find that I begin my workdays with less stress when I already know what I'll be wearing. It's just one less thing to think about, making mornings less frantic.